Durant, Thompson help Warriors withstand Davis, Pelicans
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[October 29, 2016]
NEW ORLEANS -- The Golden State
Warriors never lost consecutive games as they compiled an NBA-record
73-9 record last season.
They avoided starting this season with consecutive losses as they
rebounded from a 29-point loss to San Antonio in their season opener
Tuesday night to hold off Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans
122-114 on Friday night in the Smoothie King Center.
"There was a lot of good stuff and some bad stuff," Golden State
coach Steve Kerr said. "We did a pretty good job overall. There were
some defensive lapses and some head-scratching decisions, but we're
on the board."
The Pelicans still aren't on the board despite another virtuoso
performance by Davis. He finished with 45 points, 17 rebounds, three
assists, two blocks and two steals after accomplishing an NBA-first
with 50 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and seven
steals in a season-opening 107-102 loss to Denver on Wednesday.
"The dude is an All-Star," Hornets guard Tim Frazier said of Davis.
"You've seen him do it in back-to-back games and I'm sure he'll do
it again tomorrow (in San Antonio). He finds his way. He's versatile
-- he can score on 3-pointers, jump shots, layups, dunks, free
throws and you can hardly stop him."
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Davis, who became the first New Orleans player to score 40-plus
points in consecutive games, had more support than he had in the
opener, when just two teammates scored in double figures. But
Frazier's career-high 21 points and 10 assists and Lance
Stephenson's and Dante Cunningham's 15 points apiece weren't enough
as the team made just 5-of-22 3-pointers.
"Obviously I thought (Davis) was great again," Pelicans coach Alvin
Gentry said. "We've got to get a few more guys making shots though.
If they're going to send two, three guys at (Davis), we've got to
have some guys step up."
The Warriors had better balanced scoring as Kevin Durant scored 30
points to lead four players in double figures. Klay Thompson had 28,
Steph Curry scored 23 and Zaza Pachulia had 10 points, all in the
first quarter, and 11 rebounds.
"We still need to play better," Thompson said. "We had some lapses
on the defensive end, but it's only game two. Our offense was
clicking for a while."
Durant, who finished with 17 rebounds, had his second double-double
in as many games with Warriors, whom he joined as a free agent
during the offseason, after finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds
in the opener.
Golden State led 59-50 at halftime, but Frazier scored 11 points as
New Orleans took a 74-73 lead midway through the third quarter.
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Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) against the New Orleans Pelicans
during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center.
Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
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Frazier went to the bench after committing his fourth foul during
Curry's streak of eight straight points. Curry scored 13 in the
quarter and the Warriors led 92-81 after the period.
Golden State led by 16 on three occasions in the fourth before a
3-point play by Stephenson and a 3-pointer by Cunningham helped the
Pelicans get within eight with 4:28 left.
Thompson made a 3-pointer before Davis scored 11 straight Pelicans
points to get them within six with less than a minute to play. Davis
tried to cut further into the lead, but Durant swatted away his
jumper, grabbed the loose ball and drove in for a layup and a
118-110 lead with 37 seconds left.
Davis scored all 10 of his first-quarter points during the first
nine minutes and Durant scored all nine of his in the final three
minutes as the Warriors took a 32-22 lead after one quarter.
Curry sat out the final 3:30 of the half after committing his third
foul and New Orleans got within 59-50 at halftime when Davis made a
baseline jumper with two seconds left in the second quarter.
NOTES: The Pelicans played without two starters -- G Jrue Holiday
(personal) and G/F Tyreke Evans (knee) -- and one key reserve -- G/F
Quincy Pondexter (knee), all of whom are out indefinitely. ... C
Damian Jones (pectoral surgery), the Warriors rookie No. 1 draft
choice from Vanderbilt, also was sidelined. ... Golden State reserve
G Patrick McCaw sustained a sprained left ankle in the game, X-rays
were negative and he'll be re-evaluated Saturday. ... In his first
season as New Orleans head coach last season, Alvin Gentry, a
Warriors assistant under Steve Kerr in 2014-15, lost all three games
against his former team, the third time in the last four season that
Golden State has swept the series. ... Warriors F David West was
selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2003
draft and played eight seasons with the franchise.
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